Puppy Program Update
Recruitment
We are always in need of raisers to nurture our puppies in training. This is a great way to get first-hand
experience in how a puppy should be raised. It’s
both demanding and highly rewarding. The program
is best suited to active people who can keep up with
the demands of a young and energetic puppy. We
breed for calmness but they are puppies and need a
healthy amount of exercise in order to bring out the
best in them. Two leash walks and a fun free playtime off leash or on a long line daily are the expectations. Being able to take your puppy to work or
school with you is an advantage. Each case is different so check in with the puppy department about the
rules on how long a puppy can be left alone. The
longer he/she is left at home the less they are being
socialised and also missing out on vital puppy hood
experiences. Dogs develop quickly and there is a cut
-off point where they do not accept new experiences
as easily. Gentle socializing often is key to success.
Leaving it to a once a week activity doesn’t work so
raisers need to be motivated to do some daily activities to help stimulate the puppy’s learning. Mall outings, shopping, visits to the library, restaurants, ball
games, schools should happen regularly if the puppy
is to accept this as the norm; they build confidence
so he is able to withstand all the things that he will
encounter as a dog in advanced training and as a
future working dog.
Obedience training is the basis of all service dog
work so two maybe three sessions daily in the early
stages will help puppy learn more quickly than once
a day or less. Behaviours must be taught then positively reinforced until they become second nature.
Our classes start off being weekly then reduce to biweekly or so as the puppy gets older. As time goes
by we move to more group outings to help fix problems and monitor progress.
Continued on page 2
• www.nsd.on.ca
• [email protected]
• 519-623-4188 •
Puppy Program Update
FAQ’s
You can have another dog but he should be a good
role model to help our puppy learn good manners.
As with all pet interaction supervision is key to ensure the safety of your other pets. Having children
under five years and a puppy can present challenges since it’s like having double trouble! It’s hard to
teach small children the do’s and don'ts of puppy
care and meanwhile the puppy takes full advantage
of opportunities that will get him into trouble in later
life. It’s hard to teach a puppy that the children’s toys
are not for him to chew on and that he must not beg
or steal food from those who cannot defend themselves.
Living local is a requirement. Check in with puppy
staff about the distance if you do not reside in the tricity area. Puppy classes are held on Monday evenings in Cambridge and on Wednesday evenings in
London and last around 30-45 minutes. University
students are especially welcome if they can incorporate the added responsibility of a puppy. Many students work a puppy share system which works well
• www.nsd.on.ca
if all members of the household are on board. Before
applying please make sure you can devote time to
studying and part time work along with raising a demanding puppy. We are still unable to take on more
University of Guelph students at this time as we already have the number of puppies on campus that
were dictated by the university. Students from other
universities are more than welcome to apply.
If you can’t work a puppy into your life then maybe
consider the weekend sitter program, the evening
sitter program or the evening enrichment program at
the kennel.
Garry Stephenson,
Breeding & Puppy Program Manager
• [email protected]
• 519-623-4188 •